Order an adoption certificate
You can order an adoption certificate online from the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI). You will need a credit or debit card to use this service.
How to use this service
The General Register Office cannot issue a certificate if full details are not supplied when the certificate application is made. Please note that for the purposes of detection and prevention of crime, information relating to your application may be passed on to other government or law enforcement agencies.
Information required to order an adoption certificate
Adoption certificates are available from 1931 to present.
- full name of person whose adoption certificate is required
- date of birth
- names of adoptive parents
- name of Court which made the order and date of order
What if I don't have a debit or credit card?
If you do not have a credit or debit card, an application form can be printed and sent by post, enclosing a cheque or postal order.
- Adoption certificate application form - GRO 40A (PDF 36 KB) (PDF 51 KB)
- Help with PDF files
- or you can call: 0300 200 7890 (028 9151 3101 from outside Northern Ireland)
Fees
Full certified copy of an adoption certificate £15.00
Where two or more full certified copies of the same entry are applied for at the same time, the first copy will be charged at £15.00 and any additional copies at £8.00 each.
Short adoption certificate £15.00
A short certificate shows only the surname, name, sex, date of birth and (in most cases) the district of birth. A short certificate is generally only accepted as proof of age.
Please note that to obtain either a UK or Irish Passport, a full birth/adoption certificate is required.
Priority certificate £35.00
On payment of a priority fee, applications received before 2.30 pm will be dispatched the same working day. Applications received after 2.30 pm, at weekends or during public holidays will be dispatched on the next working day.
Postage charges
The following amounts will be added to your payment to cover postage costs:
| Country | one certificate | two certificates | three certificates | four or more certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Europe | £0.79 | £1.14 | £1.14 | £1.49 |
| Rest of the world | £1.16 | £1.66 | £1.66 | £2.21 |
* £5.95 for guaranteed next day delivery within the UK
Processing times
GRONI aims to process and dispatch online applications within five working days of the application being received.
Priority Applications will be issued by first class mail.
Further information
For certificate, public search room or genealogical enquiries email:
For adoption, marriage, civil partnership, death and name change enquiries email:
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